Makita Jackson

Makita is one of the kindest and most caring people I have ever met. She has such a big heart and truly cares for our students. She works extremely hard and takes on many responsibilities, including those of others. While making a huge impact on our students, she also balances home life and work very well. She has a husband and three young boys at home that she takes care off. She also invests lots of time in her local Church, while ministering to everyone she meets. She is truly a delight to be around, and she has a special place in everyone's heart.

Makita has managed to balance a full-time job, raise her family, and invest her time in church. She also has two sons who have serious health issues that she has to monitor closely. If you did not know her personally, you would never know the hardships she has been through. She always has a smile on her face, and she just radiates joy and positivity. You can see that she has Jesus within her heart.

She has taken on the role of Lead Instructor/Mentor Teacher. She also manages our Online eDULT program. She always works overtime and goes above and beyond to help her students and staff. She has been such a blessing to me and has truly taught me how to be a loving and effective teacher. She has also taken on more work than she should have. She has done other's work for them, even when she was not asked to. She is such an amazing instructor and friend. She inspires me daily. She has such a genuine, loving heart for her students and those around her. She inspires people to be more like Jesus and be joyful and kind to one another.

Makita has an infectious personality and attitude. She is always positive and optimistic. She is also one of the kindest people I have ever met. The heart and soul of every Adult Ed Program is its staff. She as our Lead Instructor and Mentor, is one chamber of that heart. She was the key to success for our AE students at our location while I was on FMLA and continues today. She has a heart of
gold. Her kindness and generosity are unmeasurable. She takes a great interest in each student; she loves them—even the unlovable ones. They come to class because they know she cares. They study because she cares. Their success is her success. Her EFL rate is 68%. Did I mention she teaches the lower-level students? She has been a woman of strength in her role as a mother and she has overcome multiple personal challenges throughout her life, yet she still approaches every day with love, kindness, and dedication. She has extensive experience with people of lower
socioeconomic status through personal experience and her work as a Missionary with The World Race and teaching. It is a show of her true tenacious character, that becomes contagious to others in her classroom and her co-workers. She is passionate about helping everyone to succeed.

She mentors our teachers with unceasing patience and knowledge of the program and guidelines. She had her hands full while our Director was out on FMLA. She took the lead in so many ways. She is a quiet, but strong leader. She gives instructors and others sage advice, trains them, and shares her lesson plans. She even tutored another campus’ students via ZOOM. She started the eDULT Program at our school and saw that it needed changes to be successful, implemented those changes and her students’ success rate is over 60% EFLs while still fulfilling all her other duties, including teaching her morning and afternoon classes. Like many other Adult Education Instructors, She often spends her own money for her students, paying for tests, snacks, water and other things.

 

Makita has the highest number of EFLs at our program. She maintains over 68 percent of gains and graduates. She goes out of her way to tutor students who may be struggling. She does not teach the high-level class. Students want to do well for her because they realize she cares. She gets excited when a student gets a gain or passes an HSE exam. It's contagious. She does all this and takes care of her family—her husband and three beautiful little boys under six years old.

 

“It’s that heart of gold, and stardust shine that makes [her] beautiful” (Broderick). She definitely has a heart of gold, and like magic glitter, her stardust covers her students, her coworkers and her family. She is one of, if not THE best Adult Education Instructor I have ever known. It is my privilege to know her and to work with her. As far as her students' success, this quotation by the great teacher John Chrysostom sums it up: "...the virtues of the disciples commend the teacher more than any letter."

(information above was taken directly from the nomination submission)